Borderlands 2 Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt DLC Review

How to tell ribald jokes, like a Sir.

While we got to know a lot of the characters in Borderlands 2 better than we did those in Borderlands, there was one guy I wish we got to hang out with more. It seems like now is my chance as the latest Borderlands 2 DLC focuses on our old chum Sir Hammerlock. Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt offers you a chance to take a trip with Pandora’s jolliest hunter, but is it the weekend getaway you were looking for?

Single Player

If you’re wondering how to start in on the new content that Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt brings, you’ll have to open up a fast-travel station and head to Hunter’s Grotto. Since no quests pop up, and no one contacts you on the radio to tell you where to go, I thought I would help you out with that. Once you get there you’ll be presented with a cut scene and will be contacted by the man himself, Sir Hammerlock.

It seems that an old admirer of Handsome Jack’s, called Professor Nakayama, whose ship has crash landed in this part of the world, is trying to clone Jack since that went so well the first time. Nakayama also has a strange need for negative attention, and he frequently calls you and asks you to come fight him. Since this is really putting a damper on the hunting expedition, Sir Hammerlock suggests you give Nakayama what he wants.

Shut up, weirdo.

Nakayama, as a villain, can be funny at times, in keeping with the themes that Borderlands 2 has laid out, but by the end you’ll be feeling like he’s going too hard at the joke. Still, there are plenty of the same subtle, and obvious, jokes that made the main game so great.

During your time in, and around, Hunter’s Grotto, Sir Hammerlock will keep suggesting that there is a some sort of signifigant hunting trip that we’ll get to if we can just deal with the Professor. Unfortunately, when you do get around to this side of the story, there isn’t much there. The main storyline in Big Game Hunt, the destruction of Nakayama and his creations, doesn’t actually take you very long and you should have it wrapped up in around three hours.

Now, you may be thinking that, as usual, the rest of the time will be filled out with side quests but Hammerlock only offers you a handful of hunts, and the job boards aren’t much better. When considering that squeezing every ounce out of Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt, you are only looking at roughly the same amount of content in just the main story of the prior Captain Scarlett and her Pirate’s Booty DLC.

There are, however, hovercrafts.

I also came across a number of places where there were buildings, or other structures, that you would expect to be small towns or outposts that were just empty. Almost as if there were more characters and quests planned for this DLC, but were pulled before the release. I have no way of knowing if this is the case, but it’s definitely strange.

Multiplayer

As always, you can play this new section of Borderlands 2 with up to four people.

Closing Comments

Sir Hammerlock’s Big Game Hunt has a little more of the same things that you love about Borderlands 2, it just doesn’t seem to have enough of it. You’ll have fun, but this villain isn’t quite up to the standards you’re used to, and this story is shorter than you were probably expecting. If you bought the season pass, well Sir Hammerlock will be waiting, but if you’re buying the Borderlands 2 DLC as they come you may want to just wait for the next one.